Joseph oohf



(No Model.) I I v J.. OOHN..

LOUKET.

N0..384,426. PatentedJune 12,1888.

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UNITED STATES PATENT EEicE.

JOSEPH OOHN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

LOCKET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 384,426, dated June 12, 1,888.

' Application filed December 17, 1887. Serial No. 258,181. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosEPH OoHN, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Locket, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a locket specially intended as a charm for a chain and containing a casing for pictures, hair, or other keepsakes.

The invention consists of an exterior casing provided with afront and a rear plate, between which is pivotally held a picture-casing adapted to be locked in place by a spring-catch, and of a spring held at the pivot of the picture-casing and serving to force the latter outward when released by the spring-catch.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of certain parts and details and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter, and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part of this specification, in'which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure -1 is a side elevation of the improvementi'n an open position. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same, and Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation of the same in aclosed or locked position.

The locket A is provided with an exterior casing, B, consisting, principally, of the front plate, 0, and the rear plate, D, of which the latter is provided at its lower end with a circular projection, E, and at its upper end with a projection F. On these two projections E and F is secured, in any suitable manner, the front plate, 0. On the top of the projection F is secured a' ring, G, by which the entire locket A can be suspended from a chain or other article. Between the front and rear plates, 0 and D, is held a picture-casing, H, provided at its lower end with a circular offset, I, made in the shape of a ring and held on the circular offset or projection E, which forms its fulcrum. Through the center of the offset I passes a post or shaft, J, secured in the front and rear plates, 0 and D, in any suitable manner, either by means of screws or solder, as may be desired. To the post J is secured one end of a spring, K, coiled around the said post and fastened by its other end to the pic ture-casing H, as is plainly shown in Fig. 3.

At the upper end of the picture-casing H is formed a wedge-shaped lug, L, adapted to be engaged by a catch, N, secured on an arm, 0, pivoted at P to the front or rear plate, 0 or D, inside of the projection F. On the arm 0 presses one end of the spring R, secured by its other end to theinside of the projection F, and serving to press the said arm 0, with its catch N, downward into contact with the front edge of the wedge-shaped lug L, as shown in Fig. 3. On the free end of the arm 0 is formed a handle, Q, which projects througha slot, S, formed in the ing or offset F, and the said handle Q rests in the bottom T of the said slot S, being forced into this position by the spring R.

Thepicture-casing H may be of any approved construction, containing pictures, hair, or other keepsakes, and being usually provided with glass covers on both sides.

The operation is as follows: \Vhen the locket is in a closed position, as shown in Fig. 3, the spring K is compressed and the picture-frame H is held in a locked position by the catch N, engaging the front edge of the wedge-shaped lug L, the spring R holding the said catch N in a downward position, with the arm Q resting on the bottom T of the slot S. hen the operator now desires to view either face of the picture-casing H, he presses the handle Q upward, so that the arm 0 swings in the same direction and the catch N is disengaged from the wedge-shaped lug L. The compressed spring K now exerts its pressure and forces the picture-casing H to swing outward into the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, said picture-casing H swinging on the circular projection E as a fulcrum. When the operator desires to close the picture-casing H, he presses the same upward, so that it swings inward between the plates 0 and D until the lug L, passing over the catch N, has its front edge engaged by said catch. It will thus be seen that the operator can quickly open the locket by simply pressing the handle Q upward, and he can again close the locket by swinging the picture-casing H inward between the plates O and D until the catch N engages the wedge-shaped lug L.

I am aware that lockets have been made with front and rear plates and catches for locking the picture-frame in place.

Having thus fully described niyinvention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a locket, the combination, with an exterior casing provided with a front and a rear plate, of a picture-casing pivoted between the said plates, a springcatch for locking the said picture-casing in place in the exterior casing, and a spring acting on the said picturecasing for swinging it open when released by the said spring-catch, substantially as shown and described.

2. Ina locket, an exterior casing consisting of front and rear plates held apart at the bottom by a circular projection and at the top by a projection with a slot and a post held between the two plates at their lower ends, in combination with a picture-casing provided with a circular offset fitting on the said circular pro- 20 j ection, a spring secured by one end to the said post and by its other end to the said picturecasing, a wedge-shaped lug formed on the said picture-casing, and a spring-catch adapted to engage the said lug and projecting through the said slot in the top projection of the casing, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a locket, an exterior casing provided with a front and a rear plate held apart by projections at the top and bottom, a picture-casing fulcrunicd between the said two plates and provided with a wedge-shaped lug, a catch fulcruined on one of the said plates and adapted to engage the said lug on the picture-casing, a spring for pressing the said catch in contact with the said wedge-shaped lug, and a handle formed on the said spring-catch and projecting through a slot in the casing, substantially as shown and described.

, JOSEPH COHN.

Vituesscs:

Trrno. G. HosTnR, O. SEDGWICK. 

